Overview
- Apple and Intel reached a preliminary manufacturing agreement reported Friday, which sent Intel shares up roughly mid‑teens and nudged Apple higher.
- People familiar with the talks say negotiations ran for more than a year, and neither company has disclosed which Apple chips Intel would make or when production might begin.
- Reporting credits U.S. officials with brokering the tie‑up, with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick meeting Tim Cook and President Trump personally urging the partnership after the government took nearly a 10% stake in Intel.
- Apple is seeking extra leading‑edge capacity because TSMC’s lines are packed with AI chip orders from companies like Nvidia, and Cook has cited chip shortages that constrained recent iPhone and Mac availability.
- Intel is rebuilding its contract foundry business under CEO Lip‑Bu Tan, including new U.S. capacity on its 18A process, while some outlets float 18A‑P and mid‑2027 timing as possibilities that remain unverified and face yield and ramp risks common to new nodes.